My partner and I have lived in a small neighborhood since the two of us were born.
We went to the same school, even though we were in different grades.
I played basketball and my partner played soccer. We even grew up only a few houses down from each other. We met after school was finished and once we got married, we had a few children. One of our boys is finally old enough to play basketball for the school’s varsity team. He’s a starting freshman and he has a fantastic jump shot. He’s going to outscore a lot of other players this year. My partner and I went to his first game a few weeks ago, and watched him score 20 points in the first half alone. We could not comprehend the range and accuracy this kid displayed. I never had that skill or determination at his age. The outdated gym odors still smell the same. I recall that terrible odor distinctly. The HVAC plan inside the gym never worked, and some afternoons we did not have any air or heat. We still had class though, even if we needed to wear a coat and gloves. I remember a couple of times when there was basketball practice even though the gym floor felt like it was iced over. The odor of outdated sweat socks, gym lockers, and mold filled the gym back then and the odor is still there. I can not wait until our last kid graduates, so my partner and I can transport away from this outdated neighborhood and retire to someplace warm.